Faversham and Mid Kent (UK Parliament constituency)

Faversham and Mid Kent
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Map of constituency
Boundary of Faversham and Mid Kent in South East England
CountyKent
Electorate71,798 (2023)[1]
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentHelen Whately (Conservative)
SeatsOne
Created from

Faversham and Mid Kent is a constituency[n 1] represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. Since 2015, the seat has been held by Helen Whately of the Conservative Party.[n 2]

History

In 1997, the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency was formed when the previous Faversham seat was abolished and split into Sittingbourne and Sheppey and the town of Faversham which was then merged with Mid Kent to form this constituency.

Constituency profile

Faversham and Mid Kent covers a mainly rural sweep around the North Downs, including part of Swale and Maidstone boroughs. Some of the traditional farming industry remains. Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.[2]

Boundaries

Map
Map of boundaries 2010–2024

1997–2010: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton & Courtenay, Davington Priory, East Downs, St Ann's, Teynham and Lynsted, and Watling, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boxley, Detling, Harrietsham and Lenham, Headcorn, Hollingbourne, Langley, Leeds, Park Wood, Shepway East, Shepway West, Sutton Valence, and Thurnham.

2010–2024: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, Davington Priory, East Downs, St Ann's, and Watling, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boughton Monchelsea and Chart Sutton, Boxley, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, Harrietsham and Lenham, Headcorn, Leeds, North Downs, Park Wood, Shepway North, Shepway South, and Sutton Valence and Langley.

2024–present: The Borough of Swale wards of Abbey, Boughton and Courtenay, East Downs, Priory, St Ann's, Teynham and Lynsted, Watling, and West Downs, and the Borough of Maidstone wards of Bearsted, Boxley, Detling and Thurnham, Downswood and Otham, Harrietsham and Lenham, Leeds, North Downs, Park Wood, Shepway North, and Shepway South.[3]

The Swale wards of Teynham & Lynstead and West Downs wards were transferred from Sittingbourne and Sheppey, offset by the loss of the Maidstone wards of Boughton Monchelsea & Chart Sutton, Headcorn, and Sutton Valence & Langley to the new constituency of Weald of Kent.

The boundary change in 1997 caused minor confusion among a large minority of residents of the Maidstone electoral wards as a constituency named Maidstone and The Weald was also created at the same time (largely replacing the former Maidstone constituency), but residents in the Shepway and Park Wood areas of the town found themselves in Faversham and Mid Kent instead.[4]

Members of Parliament

Election Member[5] Party
1997 Andrew Rowe Conservative
2001 Sir Hugh Robertson Conservative
2015 Helen Whately Conservative

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Faversham and Mid Kent[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately 14,816 31.8 –30.8
Labour Mel Dawkins 13,347 28.6 +8.8
Reform UK Maxwell Harrison 9,884 21.2 N/A
Green Hannah Temple 4,218 9.1 +5.0
Liberal Democrats Hannah Perkin 4,158 8.9 –3.6
British Democrats Lawrence Rustem 171 0.4 N/A
Majority 1,469 3.2 –39.6
Turnout 46,594 62.7 –4.5
Registered electors 74,301
Conservative hold Swing –19.8

Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result[7]
Party Vote %
Conservative 30,187 62.6
Labour 9,569 19.8
Liberal Democrats 6,011 12.5
Green 1,974 4.1
Others 474 1.0
Turnout 48,215 67.2
Electorate 71,798
General election 2019: Faversham and Mid Kent[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately 31,864 63.2 +2.1
Labour Jenny Reeves 9,888 19.6 −6.5
Liberal Democrats Hannah Perkin 6,170 12.2 +5.7
Green Hannah Temple 2,103 4.2 +1.3
Independent Gary Butler 369 0.7 New
Majority 21,976 43.6 +8.6
Turnout 50,394 68.7 −0.2
Conservative hold Swing +4.3
General election 2017: Faversham and Mid Kent
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately 30,390 61.1 +6.7
Labour Michael Desmond 12,977 26.1 +9.9
Liberal Democrats David Naghi 3,249 6.5 −0.1
UKIP Mark McGiffin 1,702 3.4 −14.6
Green Alastair Gould 1,431 2.9 −1.0
Majority 17,413 35.0 −1.4
Turnout 49,749 68.9 +3.0
Conservative hold Swing -1.6
General election 2015: Faversham and Mid Kent[9][10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Whately[11] 24,895 54.4 −1.8
UKIP Peter Edwards-Daem 8,243 18.0 +14.3
Labour Michael Desmond 7,403 16.2 −0.4
Liberal Democrats David Naghi 3,039 6.6 −13.1
Green Tim Valentine 1,768 3.9 +2.0
Monster Raving Loony Hairy Knorm Davidson[12] 297 0.6 −0.2
English Democrat Gary Butler 158 0.3 New
Majority 16,652 36.4 −0.2
Turnout 45,803 65.9 −1.9
Conservative hold Swing -8.1
General election 2010: Faversham and Mid Kent[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Robertson 26,250 56.2 +6.1
Liberal Democrats David Naghi 9,162 19.6 +2.9
Labour Ashok Rehal 7,748 16.6 −12.5
UKIP Sarah Larkins 1,722 3.7 +1.0
Green Tim Valentine 890 1.9 New
National Front Graham Kemp[14] 542 1.2 New
Monster Raving Loony Hairy Knorm Davidson 398 0.9 −0.6
Majority 17,088 36.6 +16.6
Turnout 46,712 67.8 +2.6
Conservative hold Swing +1.6

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Faversham and Mid Kent[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Robertson 21,690 49.7 +4.1
Labour Andrew Bradstock 12,970 29.7 −5.8
Liberal Democrats David Naghi 7,204 16.5 +3.0
UKIP Robert Thompson 1,152 2.6 +0.6
Monster Raving Loony Norman Davidson 610 1.4 New
Majority 8,720 20.0 +9.9
Turnout 43,626 65.7 +5.3
Conservative hold Swing +4.9
General election 2001: Faversham and Mid Kent[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Hugh Robertson 18,739 45.6 +1.2
Labour Grahame Birchall 14,556 35.5 −0.5
Liberal Democrats Michael Sole 5,529 13.5 +1.1
UKIP James Gascoyne 828 2.0 +1.1
Green Penelope Kemp 799 1.9 +1.2
Rock 'n' Roll Loony Norman Davidson 600 1.5 New
Majority 4,183 10.1 +1.7
Turnout 41,051 60.4 −13.1
Conservative hold Swing +0.9

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Faversham and Mid Kent[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew Rowe 22,016 44.4
Labour Alan Stewart 17,843 36.0
Liberal Democrats Bruce E. Parmenter 6,138 12.4
Referendum Robin M. Birley 2,073 4.2
Monster Raving Loony Norman W. Davidson 511 1.0
UKIP Michael J. Cunningham 431 0.9
Green David J. Currer 380 0.8
Green Referendum Lawless Naturally Street Party Caroline Morgan 115 0.2
Natural Law Nigel P.J. Pollard 99 0.2
Majority 4,173 8.4
Turnout 49,606 73.5
Conservative win (new seat)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
  2. ^ As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.

References

  1. ^ "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – South East". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  2. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Faversham+and+Kent+Mid
  3. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 6 South East region.
  4. ^ "Maidstone News & Sport, latest news from the Kent Messenger". Kent Online.
  5. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "F"
  6. ^ "Faversham and Mid Kent - General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Election of a Member of Parliament" (PDF). 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ "UKIP in Faversham and Mid-Kent elect candidate for 2015". Canterbury Times. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Faversham Conservatives name Helen Whately as parliamentary candidate | Canterbury Times". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  12. ^ "Official Monster Raving Loony Party leaflet". ElectionLeaflets.org.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ^ National Front
  15. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

Sources

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